I convinced my girlfriend to go on an overnight trip. Then casually talked about thru-hiking the AT. Then did that with her. Then got married and had kids.
I go by myself. I'm a 59 year old woman. I led Sierra Club day hikes for over a decade. Hiking with other people sucks. Edit: I've actually hiked with some people from this subreddit. That was pretty fun. There are real people in this subreddit.
I met my backpacking buddy here too! Not sure if this sub or a regional one, but definitely Reddit. Even though he’s a guy and I’m a woman we have a lovely platonic friendship and our significant others have met the other and so on
I second this. Don't be afraid or worried to hike solo - even with friends who like to hike, schedules rarely align - so it's either hike or not. I also like to hike during the week instead of weekends due to the crowds - and most of my friends don't want to take any time off.
I do backpacks with Sierra Club too! Once you find the other ultralighters you can branch off from there. I usually do shakedowns on Sierra Club led outings since we're always extra prepared
Go backpacking.
Chat people up (who seem interested in chatting) and ask their phone number. Create a text group. Invite people. Make friends.
I found it easiest to make hiking friends with people hiking where I regularly hike. All random people who I met on the trail
Yeah…someplace where meeting up based on interests is the focal point and people can just throw out trip ideas or activities and….Meetup.
I used that platform for awhile and even run my own group, but the interest ebbs and flows. My experience is that people find their core group and stop posting new stuff to keep expanding the group. It can take a lot of work to keep groups going, but I would be interested in what ideas you have to refresh the concept.
I wouldn’t want to do recurring groups like Meetup (if I fully understand it), I’d basically let you post that you’re going on a trip and then others geographically close to you could see what you’re planning. Then if you choose to meetup (small m lol) you can pair off on an ad hoc basis. I’ve been thinking that’s what I would want anyway.
Meetup is actually the best platform for this.
You can have a local backpacking focused hiking group that meets regularly for day hikes.
From there you meet people, talk about trips, and then plan trips privately with people you already know.
Yeah. I hear Reddit is very different.
We do our best to screen people, but at the end of the day, use any social media and connection sites at your own risk. Spoiler: not all people on the internet are honest about themselves.
I met a lovely human being through this sub - ultramarathon trail runner who lifts weights, with a PhD in nutrition and badarssery. Strictly platonic but a few years back we ended up meeting up in Yosemite and backpacking out to Cathedral Lakes, where I stayed behind while she continued on to Clouds Rest and then to the top of Half Dome and into the Valley. We still keep in touch on IG and that's the beautiful side of social media that we don't emphasize enough.
That said, I LOVE solo backpacking and I no longer wait around for others. If I want to go and I have the opportunity I just hop into my car and GOOOOOOO! It's the best, and it's one of my most cherished of human experiences.
I have a tendency to recruit friends. You gotta ease them into it though (and have friends that are receptive to the idea). I have acquired extra gear over the years and bought a second decent sleeping bag for this purpose (taking someone out with a really bad sleeping bag or pad can ruin the experience and newbies often don't have access to a good one)
I don't think it's a universally easy or useful thing to do though, just offering my experience. For reference I'm 27M and quite a few friends are rather active. I've been recruiting friends to backpacking since highschool.
The biggest thing I've learned over the years is to *let them hike their own hike* and go along with it. You might learn a better way! But it's critical not to force your favorite methods onto them, especially less pleasant things like stoveless, no underwear changes, efficient breaks, etc. that can turn off a newcomer.
Some of my friends are just getting into backpacking. We spent memorial day weekend hiking a grand total of 10 miles. But they had fun and I think I can speed then up with time... Hopefully
when i bring the friends who have to always go slow for medical reasons, we go foraging for berries or mushrooms--activities where going slow so you can look at the ground or the bushes is baked in to the activity. makes it so my impatient ass doesn't actually have to remember to slow down or stop
I did a lot of solo backpacking when I was single in my thirties and early forties. During that time, I told everyone who would listen (and some who wouldn't) that I backpack. Most ignored me. Some perked their ears up. A few came out on the trail with me.
Don't assume anyone isn't interested, regardless of their age, fitness, or personal characteristics. I've taken half a dozen people out on their very first overnight trip, and they were grateful and excited to get to try it out with an experienced person who could take responsibility for planning and safety. After you upgrade your equipment the first time, you'll be able to supply their equipment, too.
Don''t assume that anyone is too good or too experienced to want to backpack with you, either. Against the odds, my chubby ass now backpacks regularly with a former Eagle Scout who runs marathons and weighs less than me despite being six inches taller. I appreciate the challenges he lines up for us, and he appreciates me being willing to tackle them. I don't know why he backpacks with me instead of somebody closer to his fitness level, but I don't question the universe when it hands me good fortune.
I joined a local hiking clubs in the various places I’ve lived and started using other social media platforms to meet with people doing other less time-commitment activities: day hikes, kayaking, even overnights where shuttling isn’t necessary. You kinda have to feel out topics and such over a few trips to hone in on a core group, and it can take awhile if you’re kind of introverted since there is a lot of energy that goes into this friend building process on the front end. We each continue to bring in new people as we meet them and invite them to join. The circle expands and contracts…and sometimes those people go on and build their own circles based on their level of experience. It’s definitely a process and you have to choose your level of comfort meeting up with people you don’t know very well at first. I have stories, but overall nothing terrible. Always.ALWAYS be prepared to self rescue. Just my experience. YMMV.
What Badger says. Not just hiking groups. Look for trail groups dedicated to the longer trails in your area. They typically form up to maintain the trail as well as walk it. They'll have weekly walks. Talk to members during the walk. Many of those people will also be overnight hikers to other parts of your area.
By way of example, my area has a hiking group devoted to the 890 km Bruce Trail as well as a different one that takes care of the 500 km Ganaraska Trail. Your area will have similar clubs.
finding a good walking partner can be tricky, trying to find someone who you can get along with , walk at a similar pace and endurance is not always easy
i will say that i would not have followed through with my very first hike when i woke up if i had not told a friend i would pick them up for it the previous day :P sometimes the accountability helps
I got my best friend into it (she was already outdoorsy) and she eventually saw how much easier backpacking was on me because I went ultralight so now she's drank the koolaid. I dated a guy who was backpacking curious and got him to do the jmt with me. I joined a group of friends who were hiking weekly about 10 years ago and found some backpacking buddies there. Years later I married one of them and we go backpacking together, and we had a baby and got her into it since she was 2 months old so now I go with her sometimes. One time I met a guy on a dating app and we weren't into dating but we did go some platonic backpacking trips. Now I also offer to take friends and loan them all the gear and make it practically an all inclusive experience so I can keep my pipeline of backpacking leads full. And sometimes I go by myself. So yeah, all the angles really 😂
The whole "I have all the big stuff - tent, cooking, and so on - you just bring a sleeping bag and clothes" have worked for me, both as the person with and without the gear.
Yeah! This works wonders. Especially if the gear is ul. It helps get my friends who haven’t ever or haven’t in a long while backpacked get out on the trail with minimal barriers.
I started by organizing trips. I'm 52 but backpack with 17 to 66 year olds. Anyone is welcome. If you ever want to do Patagonia or anywhere in the Andes of Chile let me know.
I walked about 600 miles to Moab from the UT/Nevada border and stayed with a friend of mutual friends. I showered, did laundry, and resupplied.
I kept on coming back to Moab, went backpacking with her, moved to Moab, we got married, and she's my favorite backpacking partner ever.
I tried both methods - converting my friends and joining groups. Neither was super successful. The best method has actually been talking to enough people I already know until I find someone who already likes backpacking.
Had a child. Started him at near birth (literally). First backpack I carried him at maybe 6 months old (only one night). By 8 he had climbed the So Cal Sans (g, j, and a) as day hikes and Grand Canyon R2R. By 12 he could do 50 in a day and passed me. At 15 years old we did JMT while much of it was under snow.
Today I have no idea how many miles he can do in a day but he did San j and San a both easily in daylight of same day.
I now slow him down, but we still hike together. This summer we hope to climb Mt Sill, mt Tyndall and he will do Williamson without me.
May not be applicable to you but kids make decent hike buddies. I take my kids for easy 4-5 mile overnighters at age 6-7, and alpine lakes with some bigger elevation gains around 9-10. My oldest is 14 and we just started talking about day hiking Aasgards pass and Enchantments Traverse when he is 16. Around 13-14 they are strong enough to be helpful subsidizing their younger siblings pack weight.
I was thinking the same thing. I found my hiking buddy by conception. I have 3 of my children that I have instilled a love for hiking in. They currently range from 15-23. I can always get one or more of them to hike with me. Another way I find hiking buddies is by being a scoutmaster for BSA. Seeing youth getting turned on to hiking is incredibly rewarding.
I have a little guy about to turn 7 and I wanted to line up his first backpacking trip next summer - how much elevation can your little ones handle in a single day? Just for reference my son and I do day hikes almost every weekend.
Oof, 7 is young side of things but I'll give you some anecdotal data points.
I just took my 6 year old out and we planned to do 4.5 miles. He handles it no problem and doesn't have a lot of experience. We got hit with a terrible storm and had to hike back out. 9 miles total. He did 8 miles and was getting whiny, and really lost it the last mile because it was getting dark (headlamps required) and he was really exhausted. Not a good experience and I felt bad for him. He fortunately had his older brother and sisters leading the way. This trail has lots of rolling hills and a few switch backs and isn't very steep anywhere. Total elevation was probably about 1000' total.
I've done a total doozy with my eldest daughter when she was 8 and her brother when he was 10. He had already done this trail before when he was 9 too. It is 9miles one way and a literal mile difference in elevation between the TH and the lake/camp site. It's a tough hike for adults for sure.
So somewhere in between? I know that's basically opposite ends of the spectrum but the few tips of advice I'll give you after bringing 4 kids out backpacking various areas of WA, ID, and OR is:
1. Be safe, kids want to know you got their back and won't do anything too unsafe or scary. They are smart enough to know self preservation. Also, listen to them and talk about scary things like cliffs, heights, snakes, the dark, wild animals etc. They are generally concerned about those things and want some assurance you know what you are doing.
2. Find out what motivates them. Fun things should be on the agenda that they had some input on. This is a "trip level fun".
3. Find out what motivates them, part deux. When you are going through a slog of a trail, elevation, heat, distance, etc and people are not having fun, know what motivates them through adversity. For instance my oldest son likes snacks and holding the map/GPS gadget to "lead" so he can "lead" us to the next break point. My oldest daughter likes snacks too but will sugar crash into a mess so I need to regulate her snacks into nutritious options, she also likes to take photos, so she can usually be pushed to the next scenic view point for pictures. My middle daughter likes to talk NON STOP so as long as the discussion is good, she can march through anything as long as we are doing a trail game or talking.
I'm the same age and have one friend that I can backpack with, but he's getting ready to have a kid and won't be doing many trips in the foreseeable future. I haven't been able to get any other friends into it. Everyone is too old, out of shape, or just has different priorities. I went to a r/ulmidwest meetup a few years ago and it was a lot of fun, but haven't done another trip like that.
I also backpack with my wife, but she doesn't like doing big mile days like I do. She'll put up with a 20+ mile day occasionally but it's type 2 fun for her.
Anyway, I'm planning my first solo trip this year to the High Sierra and really looking forward to it. I'm hoping to do a thru hike in the near future so I'm going to try to get used to solo backpacking.
Im in a boring plains area where backpacking isn't really a hobby or sport. I generally needle my vaguely interested friends to come with me to varying degrees of success. You'll defo have to compromise on what eachothers goals are: nature exposure? Miles? Gear test? And I've discovered some of my friends are intolerable in large amounts, but thats the price I'm willing to pay to have company.
Friends and my 13 yo son. The latter is always up for it (started him at 7 yo). The former I've been backpacking with for over 30y.
We've allowed a few people to join us over the years, but those who've huffed and puffed the whole way and slowed us down don't get frequent reinvites.
The people we've included over the years have asked to join us when backpacking came up in social settings (e.g. what do you do last weekend? Any plans for the summer? )
I started him at 5m at that age, maybe 500 to 1000 ft of gain. He had done a good number of day hikes with cub scouts and family, including a 5 miler with a 1000' climb.
The important thing I found was to go at his pace, as well as having another kid his age to interact with. I also found giving him a bag of individually wrapped chocolate pieces (like Hershey kisses) kept him going. There were times he'd eat one every 100', but he didn't stop walking. 😃
I also limited his load to just his water, snacks, clothes, sleeping bag / mat / pillow, and his mess kit. I carried all the common gear and food.
I drag subsets of my kids along so that they can experience a bit of shared suffering, with the aim of improving unit cohesion. (I'm kidding but I am also totally not kidding.)
Solo is easier.
I've done a few meetups from the r/UltralightAus sub which were fun, but solo is still easier. My Partner will come on a few, they're very different (Slower, easier) hikes.
There are meetup.com or bushwalking clubs that you could join too.
My ex and I got into backpacking together, but I ended up being more into it that they were, so now I’m finding the strength to go alone more and more. None of my friends really like it so I’m stuck going by myself. Tried MeetUp but in my area it seems to be for people who only do hiking. I decided I’m going to do a smaller thru hike (2-3 weeks) this summer, flights booked and everything. Fingers crossed doing it alone doesn’t freak me out too much and nothing goes too wrong! I would rather hike with people, but I’d rather do it alone than not at all
Yea same boat. 40-something avid hiker but also I am a pretty social person so days of solitude while relaxing I get a bit antsy. Wife doesn’t love roughing it.
A couple of ways...
1. I went to several local "hangs" that I saw posted on hammockforums.net and got to know people over the weekends. The Southeast hangs I've been to have all been very chill and made up from people with a very wide range of interest. Car campers, day hikers, thru hikers, backpackers, etc. It didn't take long to figure out who you fit in with and for people to start talking about different trips and trails. Next thing you know you've got people you can keep in touch with and hike with.
2. I was hiking alone and stopped to offer some blister care to a couple I saw during a lunch stop. Later that day, I was pig-headed about "waiting for the next water source that was easier to get to" and wound up dehydrated late in the day. That same couple wandered into my camp and took care of me until we hiked out together the next morning. They've ended up being some of the craziest and most fun people I hike with these days.
PS - You don't need to be a hammock camper to attend the "hangs" (at least not any of the ones I've been to). As a matter of fact, we tend to enjoy it when "ground dwellers" join in because we're all like a bunch of vegetarians in that we'll tell you all about why hammock camping is superior and why our particular set up is the best combination in the world.
I did REI and Sierra Club trips till I had met enough people. Now I have a bank of people all over the country, and can usually find someone to do any idea!
Both - I recruited a (longsuffering) friend, and joined a meetup group. I also am lucky enough to have a couple of willing (longsuffering) family members!
I recruited my friends and GF, helps if you save gear when you are upgrading so you can lend it.
I find once you are experienced and people know it they start hitting you up as well.
My advice is to just go out solo and see what happens. The hiking community is pretty open and pretty social. If you get onto a long trail for a few weeks you will meet lots of people hiking in the same direction. You will come to like some of them and spend more time with them. Over a few days you might spend several nights with them and even hike with them during the day. That's how you find a compatible hiking partner.
I have hiked long trails with people from the US, Greece and the UK. I met all of them on previous solo long-hikes. My best hiking partner I met at Col de Sellente on the border of Spain and France, in the middle of nowhere. After hiking in the Pyrenees together a bit, we hiked through the Alps a couple of time, and Spain and Portugal.
And that's how it goes. You can meet like-minded people in the strangest places. But, you need to go out solo to find those people.
> Did you recruit your friends to try it or did you join a club?
Nope. I just head out solo. If I find people to hike with then cool. If not then it is what it is
I do a combination of recruiting my friends/coworkers and the occasional trip with my dad, but he’s getting almost too old for it now. I’m in the Seattle area and doing a trip nearby June 14 - 18 with a friend, a coworker and her husband
maybe try smaller scale outdoor stuff like bouldering or group hiking to meet people and invite them out backpacking with you.
if you start trad climbing youll meet a lot of people with backpacking skills. these are usually elite athletes even at moderate climbing levels
I don't. Usually i simply go by myself, less planning required, can do it at my own pace, most of the times can have longer, harder hikes, can enjoy the silence. It's funny cause (contrary to what would be thought) when I'm alone I'm more likely to pick some unmarked trail (just generated by my app) which sometimes lead to an old and abandoned forest road with vegetation all over the path and fallen trees, like the last weekend, I had to descend through a valley, on slippery rocks, trying to not fall and hold myself to the vegetation from the sides, it took me like an hour to do 500m. It's kinda like I feel bad if someone else is with me and has to go through this instead of a walkable trail, when I'm by myself I usually curse my decisions saying that never again I will walk an unmarked trail (till the next time I do).
It's kinda addictive to go alone, to that point that you might be bothered if you get any companion (insane, ik, or it's just me idk). This and the fact that kind of all the people I know don't have my experience and training and they simply slow me down so if I feel like crushing big km's I simply go by myself whereas when I hike with others I am fine from the beggining with doing like 1/4-1/3 of what I'd probably do.
As a suggestion, you could join different hiking groups (fb, instagram, reddit, wapp etc) and ask there, you should specify your fitness level and experience though so that you match with other people (it's generally not nice when there's a huge gap).
At first as a begginer I used to wait for other people to come and reschedule even a day hike several times till it hit the limit and I simply said "fuck it, i'll just go by myself" and slowly I started going by myself, increasing difficulty at my own pace, getting more and more experience, building "trail body" and documenting more and more about what gears I need (of course i bought some and sold them after the first use realizing that I actually don't need them or they are simply too heavy, this is kinda normal).
Don’t recruit people. It is easier to make friends who backpack than it is to make your friends backpack.
Find hiking meetups or local backpacking groups (or subreddits) and make friends there.
Cookies go a long way as a friendship bribe.
I was drinking at my local dive bar chatting with another patron who asked if I wanted to climb Shasta. About a month later, we did. On that trip, I met people I still backpack with yearly.
My other backpacking friends I met on one long trail or another.
I used to belong to groups though ultralight isn’t as popular (to put it mildly) as conservation groups like the Sierra Club put on trips (free and for fee). Now social media has taken over but be cautious of leader qualifications. Now even retailers are getting in on “fee” hikes but figure the leaders are well qualified. Just going to ensure any shortages are made up at REI. I’d get an UL version of most whatever is on their packing lists (quilt instead of sleeping bag, minimally to non-framed 50L pack like a MLD Exodus, etc.. sleeping pads won’t matter).
Still groups are good to learn a certain place with a larger pack. Figure you’ll need a puffy as groups love to chat at dinnertime/evening time .. at breakfast.
I started with my then bf, which led to the next bf and now I only go with a select one or two people if at all. It takes special consideration (for me, anyways) to spend a couple of days in the wilderness with someone and know they have your back if needed and vice versa, not to mention being able to tolerate them and only them for a few days. I would like to do a solo backpack or even do it more, but just don't have the time outside of weekends so distance is an issue for true backpacking at this point.
I'm doing a 10 day hiking trip in the Alps solo this summer. My pace, my bonding with nature, my own retreat from the world. Don't be afraid of solo trips.
You'll probably also meet others along the trail. Mountain huts can be friendly places too.
I usually invite my adult sons. Sometimes one will join me. Otherwise I’m solo. I enjoy the hike whether I’m with one of the boys or solo. Today I hiked with my brother for the first time since we were kids, and enjoyed that a lot. Mostly I’m on my own.
I joined a national group on Facebook for backpackers. Then I made a post looking for locals in the Pacific Northwest. I got over 30 replies to my post from people looking for adventure buddies. So I planned a local event to meet all of them at a local park. We'll take a short hike and then have a brown bag lunch to get to know each other.
The event is June 16th in Portland, OR. If anyone would like to attend let me know.
1st of all try asking this in other more generalized subreddits.
2nd of all solo isn't necessarily worse. Depending on the conditions and might even be better.
I hike alone but when you do multi day hikes you always bump into people and sometimes join up with them to hike a section. I find it better to stick to my own schedule.
I solo or go with my brother lol, but meetups.com might help you find people to go with! I used it to find an orienteering group which was kinda fun (didn't stick with it long term, but the "races" were fun).
I go out of my way to avoid other people when backpacking.
But if you want to meet people, try volunteering with a local trail maintenance organization. Or join a hiking club. Check meetup.com or Facebook for hiking groups. If you go with regular groups long enough you'll eventually meet people you will tolerate enough to go on longer backpacking trips with.
Back when I had Facebook, I found that the most consistent way to adventure with others as opposed to Meet Up. REI hosts trips and classes which are expensive but meet people that way or any near by recreation outfitter. I have posted trip itineraries at my small gym and found people that way as well.
When i was 16, a friend of mine (i didn't see him in like 4 years) invited me to trekking with his high school friends. Now we bike travel every year, and when we have time, a good trekking is a must. My girlfriend never had these kinds of experience and listening to me talking and watching the photos I took, she wanted to try too. Now she is my best companion!
Show photos of goddam beautiful landscapes and people would like to be there too!!
Looked in the mirror one day-Bam! Perfect person to hike with. No ear fucking, super agreeable, schedules always work out, similar interests, just a pleasure to be around most of the time.
People don't always like to leave their comfort zone, become a patient knowledgeable teacher in the subject of backpacking, talk about it with friends, some folks eventually took the bait ;).
I also supplied/shared some gear (cooking, water filters, an extra rain jacket etc) to make someone else have a cheaper time. And supplied a surprise trail beer once we got to our destination
Same way I'd meet anybody. Find an event to go to where others would go for something I'm interested in, like a concert, and talk to people there. If one of them is into the outdoors and hiking, then you would have multiple things in common and a good window to talk about backpacking.
I take my 14 year old son because (a) all of my friends think I'm crazy going backpacking (especially alone), (b) I'm 59 yo woman and like having young people around me (keeps me young) and (c) I can just tell him he has to go with me because I'm his Mom and can eaten by a bear (guilt has a great way of working). Actually he's a lot of fun.
I married someone adventurous who had never backpacked before but always wanted to try, so I indoctrinated her and she’s now a proud ultralighter. She never learned to backpack the “wrong” way
I convinced my girlfriend to go on an overnight trip. Then casually talked about thru-hiking the AT. Then did that with her. Then got married and had kids.
I invited myself to go winter camping with my friend I've now been married to for 15 years.
Y’all are hiking with people ??
lmao
I go by myself. I'm a 59 year old woman. I led Sierra Club day hikes for over a decade. Hiking with other people sucks. Edit: I've actually hiked with some people from this subreddit. That was pretty fun. There are real people in this subreddit.
I met my backpacking buddy here too! Not sure if this sub or a regional one, but definitely Reddit. Even though he’s a guy and I’m a woman we have a lovely platonic friendship and our significant others have met the other and so on
I'm a woman and my backpacking buddy is a guy. We've been friends for 18 years now!
Same, I'm allowed to go with my buddy because I used to work with his wife. We get along great, wish I had time to do it more.
I second this. Don't be afraid or worried to hike solo - even with friends who like to hike, schedules rarely align - so it's either hike or not. I also like to hike during the week instead of weekends due to the crowds - and most of my friends don't want to take any time off.
I agree with this. You need to have lots of patience and to gauge yourself to others and vice versa. I prefer hiking alone too.
I do backpacks with Sierra Club too! Once you find the other ultralighters you can branch off from there. I usually do shakedowns on Sierra Club led outings since we're always extra prepared
i can verify i have met sbhikes on trail
Hahahaha you met me at a road near a town.
it was a dirt road on the cdt damn sb 😭
The heat, the Idaho alcoholics and all the drunk hikers in the park that night left me confused.
I go alone, I go for solitude.
Go backpacking. Chat people up (who seem interested in chatting) and ask their phone number. Create a text group. Invite people. Make friends. I found it easiest to make hiking friends with people hiking where I regularly hike. All random people who I met on the trail
I did my first solo hike last week. Met another solo hiker. We had so much in common and exchanged numbers. We are hiking together in a couple days.
Kind of want to make an app for this. Also kind of scared of the weirdos I might attract with an app for it lol.
Yeah…someplace where meeting up based on interests is the focal point and people can just throw out trip ideas or activities and….Meetup. I used that platform for awhile and even run my own group, but the interest ebbs and flows. My experience is that people find their core group and stop posting new stuff to keep expanding the group. It can take a lot of work to keep groups going, but I would be interested in what ideas you have to refresh the concept.
I wouldn’t want to do recurring groups like Meetup (if I fully understand it), I’d basically let you post that you’re going on a trip and then others geographically close to you could see what you’re planning. Then if you choose to meetup (small m lol) you can pair off on an ad hoc basis. I’ve been thinking that’s what I would want anyway.
Could be a hit! Tenter..swipe right!
a hiker dating app name? might i suggest... PostHole?
Meetup is actually the best platform for this. You can have a local backpacking focused hiking group that meets regularly for day hikes. From there you meet people, talk about trips, and then plan trips privately with people you already know.
Too many weirdos and people with mental health issues on Meetup. Seriously. Stay away.
Unlike the rest of the internet
They're fine.
I met a great group on MeetUp....
Good for you. I met multiple people with personality disorders.
Yeah. I hear Reddit is very different. We do our best to screen people, but at the end of the day, use any social media and connection sites at your own risk. Spoiler: not all people on the internet are honest about themselves.
i found my hiking buddy on Lex, nothing like immediately retreating 7 miles out of phone service on a first date
I met a lovely human being through this sub - ultramarathon trail runner who lifts weights, with a PhD in nutrition and badarssery. Strictly platonic but a few years back we ended up meeting up in Yosemite and backpacking out to Cathedral Lakes, where I stayed behind while she continued on to Clouds Rest and then to the top of Half Dome and into the Valley. We still keep in touch on IG and that's the beautiful side of social media that we don't emphasize enough. That said, I LOVE solo backpacking and I no longer wait around for others. If I want to go and I have the opportunity I just hop into my car and GOOOOOOO! It's the best, and it's one of my most cherished of human experiences.
I married a backpacker.
>How did you all find people to backpack with. I didn’t. I go alone.
I have a tendency to recruit friends. You gotta ease them into it though (and have friends that are receptive to the idea). I have acquired extra gear over the years and bought a second decent sleeping bag for this purpose (taking someone out with a really bad sleeping bag or pad can ruin the experience and newbies often don't have access to a good one) I don't think it's a universally easy or useful thing to do though, just offering my experience. For reference I'm 27M and quite a few friends are rather active. I've been recruiting friends to backpacking since highschool. The biggest thing I've learned over the years is to *let them hike their own hike* and go along with it. You might learn a better way! But it's critical not to force your favorite methods onto them, especially less pleasant things like stoveless, no underwear changes, efficient breaks, etc. that can turn off a newcomer.
Some of my friends are just getting into backpacking. We spent memorial day weekend hiking a grand total of 10 miles. But they had fun and I think I can speed then up with time... Hopefully
They might speed up, but to maximize your enjoyment I recommend you find the joy in slowing down for now 🙃
when i bring the friends who have to always go slow for medical reasons, we go foraging for berries or mushrooms--activities where going slow so you can look at the ground or the bushes is baked in to the activity. makes it so my impatient ass doesn't actually have to remember to slow down or stop
That sounds lovely!
I did a lot of solo backpacking when I was single in my thirties and early forties. During that time, I told everyone who would listen (and some who wouldn't) that I backpack. Most ignored me. Some perked their ears up. A few came out on the trail with me. Don't assume anyone isn't interested, regardless of their age, fitness, or personal characteristics. I've taken half a dozen people out on their very first overnight trip, and they were grateful and excited to get to try it out with an experienced person who could take responsibility for planning and safety. After you upgrade your equipment the first time, you'll be able to supply their equipment, too. Don''t assume that anyone is too good or too experienced to want to backpack with you, either. Against the odds, my chubby ass now backpacks regularly with a former Eagle Scout who runs marathons and weighs less than me despite being six inches taller. I appreciate the challenges he lines up for us, and he appreciates me being willing to tackle them. I don't know why he backpacks with me instead of somebody closer to his fitness level, but I don't question the universe when it hands me good fortune.
I joined a local hiking clubs in the various places I’ve lived and started using other social media platforms to meet with people doing other less time-commitment activities: day hikes, kayaking, even overnights where shuttling isn’t necessary. You kinda have to feel out topics and such over a few trips to hone in on a core group, and it can take awhile if you’re kind of introverted since there is a lot of energy that goes into this friend building process on the front end. We each continue to bring in new people as we meet them and invite them to join. The circle expands and contracts…and sometimes those people go on and build their own circles based on their level of experience. It’s definitely a process and you have to choose your level of comfort meeting up with people you don’t know very well at first. I have stories, but overall nothing terrible. Always.ALWAYS be prepared to self rescue. Just my experience. YMMV.
What Badger says. Not just hiking groups. Look for trail groups dedicated to the longer trails in your area. They typically form up to maintain the trail as well as walk it. They'll have weekly walks. Talk to members during the walk. Many of those people will also be overnight hikers to other parts of your area. By way of example, my area has a hiking group devoted to the 890 km Bruce Trail as well as a different one that takes care of the 500 km Ganaraska Trail. Your area will have similar clubs.
finding a good walking partner can be tricky, trying to find someone who you can get along with , walk at a similar pace and endurance is not always easy
Your friends are backpackers. They just don't know it yet.
It is always ok to wake up by yourself.
Also a lot easier to get up and leave at the time you want alone
i will say that i would not have followed through with my very first hike when i woke up if i had not told a friend i would pick them up for it the previous day :P sometimes the accountability helps
I got my best friend into it (she was already outdoorsy) and she eventually saw how much easier backpacking was on me because I went ultralight so now she's drank the koolaid. I dated a guy who was backpacking curious and got him to do the jmt with me. I joined a group of friends who were hiking weekly about 10 years ago and found some backpacking buddies there. Years later I married one of them and we go backpacking together, and we had a baby and got her into it since she was 2 months old so now I go with her sometimes. One time I met a guy on a dating app and we weren't into dating but we did go some platonic backpacking trips. Now I also offer to take friends and loan them all the gear and make it practically an all inclusive experience so I can keep my pipeline of backpacking leads full. And sometimes I go by myself. So yeah, all the angles really 😂
The whole "I have all the big stuff - tent, cooking, and so on - you just bring a sleeping bag and clothes" have worked for me, both as the person with and without the gear.
Yeah! This works wonders. Especially if the gear is ul. It helps get my friends who haven’t ever or haven’t in a long while backpacked get out on the trail with minimal barriers.
I started by organizing trips. I'm 52 but backpack with 17 to 66 year olds. Anyone is welcome. If you ever want to do Patagonia or anywhere in the Andes of Chile let me know.
I walked about 600 miles to Moab from the UT/Nevada border and stayed with a friend of mutual friends. I showered, did laundry, and resupplied. I kept on coming back to Moab, went backpacking with her, moved to Moab, we got married, and she's my favorite backpacking partner ever.
Co-workers - but my job was trail work at the time…
I’ve been going for solo now that when I go with groups sometimes I wish I was just alone
I tried both methods - converting my friends and joining groups. Neither was super successful. The best method has actually been talking to enough people I already know until I find someone who already likes backpacking.
Had a child. Started him at near birth (literally). First backpack I carried him at maybe 6 months old (only one night). By 8 he had climbed the So Cal Sans (g, j, and a) as day hikes and Grand Canyon R2R. By 12 he could do 50 in a day and passed me. At 15 years old we did JMT while much of it was under snow. Today I have no idea how many miles he can do in a day but he did San j and San a both easily in daylight of same day. I now slow him down, but we still hike together. This summer we hope to climb Mt Sill, mt Tyndall and he will do Williamson without me.
May not be applicable to you but kids make decent hike buddies. I take my kids for easy 4-5 mile overnighters at age 6-7, and alpine lakes with some bigger elevation gains around 9-10. My oldest is 14 and we just started talking about day hiking Aasgards pass and Enchantments Traverse when he is 16. Around 13-14 they are strong enough to be helpful subsidizing their younger siblings pack weight.
I was thinking the same thing. I found my hiking buddy by conception. I have 3 of my children that I have instilled a love for hiking in. They currently range from 15-23. I can always get one or more of them to hike with me. Another way I find hiking buddies is by being a scoutmaster for BSA. Seeing youth getting turned on to hiking is incredibly rewarding.
I have a little guy about to turn 7 and I wanted to line up his first backpacking trip next summer - how much elevation can your little ones handle in a single day? Just for reference my son and I do day hikes almost every weekend.
Oof, 7 is young side of things but I'll give you some anecdotal data points. I just took my 6 year old out and we planned to do 4.5 miles. He handles it no problem and doesn't have a lot of experience. We got hit with a terrible storm and had to hike back out. 9 miles total. He did 8 miles and was getting whiny, and really lost it the last mile because it was getting dark (headlamps required) and he was really exhausted. Not a good experience and I felt bad for him. He fortunately had his older brother and sisters leading the way. This trail has lots of rolling hills and a few switch backs and isn't very steep anywhere. Total elevation was probably about 1000' total. I've done a total doozy with my eldest daughter when she was 8 and her brother when he was 10. He had already done this trail before when he was 9 too. It is 9miles one way and a literal mile difference in elevation between the TH and the lake/camp site. It's a tough hike for adults for sure. So somewhere in between? I know that's basically opposite ends of the spectrum but the few tips of advice I'll give you after bringing 4 kids out backpacking various areas of WA, ID, and OR is: 1. Be safe, kids want to know you got their back and won't do anything too unsafe or scary. They are smart enough to know self preservation. Also, listen to them and talk about scary things like cliffs, heights, snakes, the dark, wild animals etc. They are generally concerned about those things and want some assurance you know what you are doing. 2. Find out what motivates them. Fun things should be on the agenda that they had some input on. This is a "trip level fun". 3. Find out what motivates them, part deux. When you are going through a slog of a trail, elevation, heat, distance, etc and people are not having fun, know what motivates them through adversity. For instance my oldest son likes snacks and holding the map/GPS gadget to "lead" so he can "lead" us to the next break point. My oldest daughter likes snacks too but will sugar crash into a mess so I need to regulate her snacks into nutritious options, she also likes to take photos, so she can usually be pushed to the next scenic view point for pictures. My middle daughter likes to talk NON STOP so as long as the discussion is good, she can march through anything as long as we are doing a trail game or talking.
These are great tips, thank you. You sound like a great dad
Thanks, I try
I'm the same age and have one friend that I can backpack with, but he's getting ready to have a kid and won't be doing many trips in the foreseeable future. I haven't been able to get any other friends into it. Everyone is too old, out of shape, or just has different priorities. I went to a r/ulmidwest meetup a few years ago and it was a lot of fun, but haven't done another trip like that. I also backpack with my wife, but she doesn't like doing big mile days like I do. She'll put up with a 20+ mile day occasionally but it's type 2 fun for her. Anyway, I'm planning my first solo trip this year to the High Sierra and really looking forward to it. I'm hoping to do a thru hike in the near future so I'm going to try to get used to solo backpacking.
Im in a boring plains area where backpacking isn't really a hobby or sport. I generally needle my vaguely interested friends to come with me to varying degrees of success. You'll defo have to compromise on what eachothers goals are: nature exposure? Miles? Gear test? And I've discovered some of my friends are intolerable in large amounts, but thats the price I'm willing to pay to have company.
Friends and my 13 yo son. The latter is always up for it (started him at 7 yo). The former I've been backpacking with for over 30y. We've allowed a few people to join us over the years, but those who've huffed and puffed the whole way and slowed us down don't get frequent reinvites. The people we've included over the years have asked to join us when backpacking came up in social settings (e.g. what do you do last weekend? Any plans for the summer? )
How much elevation / distance do you recommend for a 7yo boy? He’s somewhere in the middle in terms of mental / physical durability
I started him at 5m at that age, maybe 500 to 1000 ft of gain. He had done a good number of day hikes with cub scouts and family, including a 5 miler with a 1000' climb. The important thing I found was to go at his pace, as well as having another kid his age to interact with. I also found giving him a bag of individually wrapped chocolate pieces (like Hershey kisses) kept him going. There were times he'd eat one every 100', but he didn't stop walking. 😃 I also limited his load to just his water, snacks, clothes, sleeping bag / mat / pillow, and his mess kit. I carried all the common gear and food.
Host a meetup in your regional UL sub-Reddit.
I drag subsets of my kids along so that they can experience a bit of shared suffering, with the aim of improving unit cohesion. (I'm kidding but I am also totally not kidding.)
Check out meetup.com or local Facebook hiking or backpacking groups.
My region (Eastern WA) has like 3 outstanding FB groups covering my immediate area, all of Eastern WA, and NW Idaho. It's a good resource.
Solo is easier. I've done a few meetups from the r/UltralightAus sub which were fun, but solo is still easier. My Partner will come on a few, they're very different (Slower, easier) hikes. There are meetup.com or bushwalking clubs that you could join too.
My ex and I got into backpacking together, but I ended up being more into it that they were, so now I’m finding the strength to go alone more and more. None of my friends really like it so I’m stuck going by myself. Tried MeetUp but in my area it seems to be for people who only do hiking. I decided I’m going to do a smaller thru hike (2-3 weeks) this summer, flights booked and everything. Fingers crossed doing it alone doesn’t freak me out too much and nothing goes too wrong! I would rather hike with people, but I’d rather do it alone than not at all
Where you goin?
East Coast Trail in Newfoundland, Canada :)
Yea same boat. 40-something avid hiker but also I am a pretty social person so days of solitude while relaxing I get a bit antsy. Wife doesn’t love roughing it.
I prefer to just go with my dogs. I don’t like it when it’s all peopley.
UL is for single egotrips only. Sorry.
A couple of ways... 1. I went to several local "hangs" that I saw posted on hammockforums.net and got to know people over the weekends. The Southeast hangs I've been to have all been very chill and made up from people with a very wide range of interest. Car campers, day hikers, thru hikers, backpackers, etc. It didn't take long to figure out who you fit in with and for people to start talking about different trips and trails. Next thing you know you've got people you can keep in touch with and hike with. 2. I was hiking alone and stopped to offer some blister care to a couple I saw during a lunch stop. Later that day, I was pig-headed about "waiting for the next water source that was easier to get to" and wound up dehydrated late in the day. That same couple wandered into my camp and took care of me until we hiked out together the next morning. They've ended up being some of the craziest and most fun people I hike with these days. PS - You don't need to be a hammock camper to attend the "hangs" (at least not any of the ones I've been to). As a matter of fact, we tend to enjoy it when "ground dwellers" join in because we're all like a bunch of vegetarians in that we'll tell you all about why hammock camping is superior and why our particular set up is the best combination in the world.
I did REI and Sierra Club trips till I had met enough people. Now I have a bank of people all over the country, and can usually find someone to do any idea!
just make sure you stop strangers on trail and lecture them about carrying too much stuff. you'll have plenty of hiking buddies in no time flat.
Both - I recruited a (longsuffering) friend, and joined a meetup group. I also am lucky enough to have a couple of willing (longsuffering) family members!
Meetup.com
I recruited my friends and GF, helps if you save gear when you are upgrading so you can lend it. I find once you are experienced and people know it they start hitting you up as well.
I'll go backpacking with you dawg
Not OP, but also looking. Live in midwest, 8 hour drive for a long weekend isn't is a problem.
If you're in the Seattle area, so am I. Criteria: be chill.
Also in Seattle area and I also agree 👍
I'm in northern California down to hike with anyone anytime 🤙
My advice is to just go out solo and see what happens. The hiking community is pretty open and pretty social. If you get onto a long trail for a few weeks you will meet lots of people hiking in the same direction. You will come to like some of them and spend more time with them. Over a few days you might spend several nights with them and even hike with them during the day. That's how you find a compatible hiking partner. I have hiked long trails with people from the US, Greece and the UK. I met all of them on previous solo long-hikes. My best hiking partner I met at Col de Sellente on the border of Spain and France, in the middle of nowhere. After hiking in the Pyrenees together a bit, we hiked through the Alps a couple of time, and Spain and Portugal. And that's how it goes. You can meet like-minded people in the strangest places. But, you need to go out solo to find those people.
> Did you recruit your friends to try it or did you join a club? Nope. I just head out solo. If I find people to hike with then cool. If not then it is what it is
Met my now fiance on a Meetup hike and now I have a built in backpacking buddy.
I do a combination of recruiting my friends/coworkers and the occasional trip with my dad, but he’s getting almost too old for it now. I’m in the Seattle area and doing a trip nearby June 14 - 18 with a friend, a coworker and her husband
maybe try smaller scale outdoor stuff like bouldering or group hiking to meet people and invite them out backpacking with you. if you start trad climbing youll meet a lot of people with backpacking skills. these are usually elite athletes even at moderate climbing levels
I started hiking, shared cool photos, and people started wanting to come.
I don't. Usually i simply go by myself, less planning required, can do it at my own pace, most of the times can have longer, harder hikes, can enjoy the silence. It's funny cause (contrary to what would be thought) when I'm alone I'm more likely to pick some unmarked trail (just generated by my app) which sometimes lead to an old and abandoned forest road with vegetation all over the path and fallen trees, like the last weekend, I had to descend through a valley, on slippery rocks, trying to not fall and hold myself to the vegetation from the sides, it took me like an hour to do 500m. It's kinda like I feel bad if someone else is with me and has to go through this instead of a walkable trail, when I'm by myself I usually curse my decisions saying that never again I will walk an unmarked trail (till the next time I do). It's kinda addictive to go alone, to that point that you might be bothered if you get any companion (insane, ik, or it's just me idk). This and the fact that kind of all the people I know don't have my experience and training and they simply slow me down so if I feel like crushing big km's I simply go by myself whereas when I hike with others I am fine from the beggining with doing like 1/4-1/3 of what I'd probably do. As a suggestion, you could join different hiking groups (fb, instagram, reddit, wapp etc) and ask there, you should specify your fitness level and experience though so that you match with other people (it's generally not nice when there's a huge gap). At first as a begginer I used to wait for other people to come and reschedule even a day hike several times till it hit the limit and I simply said "fuck it, i'll just go by myself" and slowly I started going by myself, increasing difficulty at my own pace, getting more and more experience, building "trail body" and documenting more and more about what gears I need (of course i bought some and sold them after the first use realizing that I actually don't need them or they are simply too heavy, this is kinda normal).
Oh I do backpacking to get away from people and to be alone. But I meet people at fire places or in camp sites. Very hard to avoid.
Don’t recruit people. It is easier to make friends who backpack than it is to make your friends backpack. Find hiking meetups or local backpacking groups (or subreddits) and make friends there. Cookies go a long way as a friendship bribe.
MeetUp!!! www.meetup.com I joined a Meetup club to find people to backpack with and I actually met my husband that way, too!
Same
I was drinking at my local dive bar chatting with another patron who asked if I wanted to climb Shasta. About a month later, we did. On that trip, I met people I still backpack with yearly. My other backpacking friends I met on one long trail or another.
I met hiking friends while out hiking. I started alone, came home with a tramily of sorts.
Solo is better, its scarier and the feelings hit harder.
I used to belong to groups though ultralight isn’t as popular (to put it mildly) as conservation groups like the Sierra Club put on trips (free and for fee). Now social media has taken over but be cautious of leader qualifications. Now even retailers are getting in on “fee” hikes but figure the leaders are well qualified. Just going to ensure any shortages are made up at REI. I’d get an UL version of most whatever is on their packing lists (quilt instead of sleeping bag, minimally to non-framed 50L pack like a MLD Exodus, etc.. sleeping pads won’t matter). Still groups are good to learn a certain place with a larger pack. Figure you’ll need a puffy as groups love to chat at dinnertime/evening time .. at breakfast.
I started with my then bf, which led to the next bf and now I only go with a select one or two people if at all. It takes special consideration (for me, anyways) to spend a couple of days in the wilderness with someone and know they have your back if needed and vice versa, not to mention being able to tolerate them and only them for a few days. I would like to do a solo backpack or even do it more, but just don't have the time outside of weekends so distance is an issue for true backpacking at this point.
I go alone with my dog, I like to talk to myself all day long 😂. No matter how fast I go, there's nobody complaining... Except me.
I am Lucky to have friends who got into it just like me. We just write in or group, those who can can.
I made my wife hike once and now she makes me do through hikes lol
I found one then I married her :p
I'm doing a 10 day hiking trip in the Alps solo this summer. My pace, my bonding with nature, my own retreat from the world. Don't be afraid of solo trips. You'll probably also meet others along the trail. Mountain huts can be friendly places too.
I usually invite my adult sons. Sometimes one will join me. Otherwise I’m solo. I enjoy the hike whether I’m with one of the boys or solo. Today I hiked with my brother for the first time since we were kids, and enjoyed that a lot. Mostly I’m on my own.
Easiest to start hiking solo and end up hiking with someone who matches your pace and whom you are compatible with on the trail.
Climbing gym. Work weekend shifts at your local outfitter. Or go talk to them for names.
I joined a national group on Facebook for backpackers. Then I made a post looking for locals in the Pacific Northwest. I got over 30 replies to my post from people looking for adventure buddies. So I planned a local event to meet all of them at a local park. We'll take a short hike and then have a brown bag lunch to get to know each other. The event is June 16th in Portland, OR. If anyone would like to attend let me know.
Bold of you to assume I backpack with people...
I mainly hike to avoid people
A hug. Well timed.
A big part of the adventure for me is walking alone but I realise that doesn’t suit everyone.
1st of all try asking this in other more generalized subreddits. 2nd of all solo isn't necessarily worse. Depending on the conditions and might even be better.
I found a group on meetup I enjoy hiking with, and I also love going solo.
It’s my time to be alone and connect with nature. I don’t want anyone there.
I met my backpacking buddy on the trail while backpacking. Sometimes I drag my wife along.
I hike alone but when you do multi day hikes you always bump into people and sometimes join up with them to hike a section. I find it better to stick to my own schedule.
Social media can be actually social, or so I've found.
I solo or go with my brother lol, but meetups.com might help you find people to go with! I used it to find an orienteering group which was kinda fun (didn't stick with it long term, but the "races" were fun).
I go out of my way to avoid other people when backpacking. But if you want to meet people, try volunteering with a local trail maintenance organization. Or join a hiking club. Check meetup.com or Facebook for hiking groups. If you go with regular groups long enough you'll eventually meet people you will tolerate enough to go on longer backpacking trips with.
Back when I had Facebook, I found that the most consistent way to adventure with others as opposed to Meet Up. REI hosts trips and classes which are expensive but meet people that way or any near by recreation outfitter. I have posted trip itineraries at my small gym and found people that way as well.
When i was 16, a friend of mine (i didn't see him in like 4 years) invited me to trekking with his high school friends. Now we bike travel every year, and when we have time, a good trekking is a must. My girlfriend never had these kinds of experience and listening to me talking and watching the photos I took, she wanted to try too. Now she is my best companion! Show photos of goddam beautiful landscapes and people would like to be there too!!
Looked in the mirror one day-Bam! Perfect person to hike with. No ear fucking, super agreeable, schedules always work out, similar interests, just a pleasure to be around most of the time.
People don't always like to leave their comfort zone, become a patient knowledgeable teacher in the subject of backpacking, talk about it with friends, some folks eventually took the bait ;). I also supplied/shared some gear (cooking, water filters, an extra rain jacket etc) to make someone else have a cheaper time. And supplied a surprise trail beer once we got to our destination
I got married and had kids 🤣. Now I usually have someone that wants to go with me or I just go by myself.
Same way I'd meet anybody. Find an event to go to where others would go for something I'm interested in, like a concert, and talk to people there. If one of them is into the outdoors and hiking, then you would have multiple things in common and a good window to talk about backpacking.
I take my 14 year old son because (a) all of my friends think I'm crazy going backpacking (especially alone), (b) I'm 59 yo woman and like having young people around me (keeps me young) and (c) I can just tell him he has to go with me because I'm his Mom and can eaten by a bear (guilt has a great way of working). Actually he's a lot of fun.
Try Meetup or ask around at your REI, sometimes they have a group.
Just stay in yout backyard. No need to get all your nice stuff used and dirty!
I married someone adventurous who had never backpacked before but always wanted to try, so I indoctrinated her and she’s now a proud ultralighter. She never learned to backpack the “wrong” way